Metal bar shears



June 1962 .1. N. PORTERFIELD 3,038,362

METAL BAR SHEARS Filed May 26, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY June 12, 1962 J. N. PORTERFIELD 3,038,362

METAL BAR SHEARS Filed May 26, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 12, 1962 J. N. PORTERFIELD METAL BAR SHEARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 26, 1958 INVENTOR.

JACK /V. PORTER/WELD June 12, 1962 J. N. PORTERFIELD 3,038,362

METAL BAR SHEAR-S Filed May 26, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN TOR.

JACK N PORTER/WELD ATTORNEY 3,038,362 METAL BAR SHEARS Jack N. Porterfield, Denver, Colo, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Coors Porcelain Company, Golden, (1010., a corporation of Colorado Filed May 26, 1958, Ser. No. 737,791 4 Claims. (Cl. 83317) This invention relates to shearing mechanism known in the art as flying shears adapted for cutting longitudinally moving strips or bars of metal into uniform pieces of selected length.

The main object of the invention is to provide mechanism efiicient for its intended purpose, simple and economical in construction and operation, and capable of producing a clean cut through the metal strip or bar without bending, twisting or otherwise distorting the strip.

In my improved construction, upper and lower cooperating blades are fixed in holders which are pivotally mounted on one swinging shear frame, the latter being pivotally connected at its lower end to a fixed frame or support. Actuation of the swinging frame about its pivotal connection to the fixed support causes the pivotal centers of the blade holder connections to the swinging frame to move in different arcuate paths concentric with said pivotal connection of the swinging shear frame to the fixed frame. However, due to certain novel arrangements of the blade holders, the upper and lower blades move in arcuate but non-concentric paths when the swinging shear frame is actuated. The positions of the blades in their respective holders, the pivotal mounting of the holders on the swinging shear frame, and the provision of pivoted supporting arms between the lower blade holder and the fixed frame of the machine cooperate to produce a cutting operation whereby the cut edge of the moving metal strip or bar is a smooth surface perpendicular to the horizontal surfaces thereof, without bending, twisting or otherwise distorting the strip.

Due to the construction and arrangement of the parts, motive power need be applied to only one element, namely, the swinging shear frame which carries both of the pivotally movable blade holder units. The lower blade holder supporting arms, pivotally connected vto the fixed frame of the machine, are actuated by the movement of the holder on the swinging shear frame. Thus all the parts move automatically to produce the cutting operation by the application of motive power to a single element, the swinging shear frame, to reciprocate the frame relatively to the fixed support.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one side of the fixed frame and of the swinging shear frame of shearing mechanism embodying my invention, showing the parts in the position of rest before beginning the cutting operation, the upper and lower ends of the fixed frame being broken away.

FIG. 2 shows the mechanism of FIG. 1 at the completion of the cutting operation.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the machine, with the parts in the position of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken in a vertical plane through the transverse center of the blade holders and blades as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the blade holders and blades in the positions shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the lower blade holder.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lower blade holder.

3,038,3fi2 Patented June 12, 1962 FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the pivotal disposition and arcuate paths of travel of the cutter blades from their rest to their cutting positions.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the upper and lower cutter blades in initial and in shearing positions, and also showing the upper cutter after having been swung about its pivotal mounting by the advancing metal strip.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the shear mechanism comprises a pair of upright fixed frame members 10, 11, provided with braces 12 secured to the frame members by cross bracket 13. Adjacent to and between the inner side surfaces of the frame members 10, 11 is a swinging shear frame indicated as a whole at 14, comprising two identical side members 15, pivotally mounted at their lower ends on the shaft 16 supported in the plates 17 spaced from the side members by buttons 18.

The upper ends of the swinging frame side members 15 are mounted on opposite ends of a shaft 19, which ligidly connects the said side members together. A tubular housing 20 rotatably surrounds the shaft between the side members 15, and is provided with a piston rod clevis 21 which is thus made pivotal relatively to the swinging shear frame and to the cylinder mounting bracket 22 on the upper portions of the fixed frame members 10, 11. Any suitable means for reciprocating the swinging shear frame 14 about the shaft 16 may be provided, the piston rod clevis 21 and cylinder mounting bracket 22 being adapted for connection to parts of hydraulic mechanism (not shown) for this purpose.

On the inner surface of each side member 15 of the swinging shear frame 14 is a web plate 23. A stop plate 24 is rigidly secured to, and extends across the space between the two side members 15 to serve as a stop for the swinging upper blade and holder indicated as a whole at 25.

Upper and lower blades and their holders extend across the space between the side members 15 of the swinging shear frame on which they are mounted. The upper blade 26 is mounted in the block 27 which constitutes a holder for the blade, the upper part of the holder being rigidly connected to a tubular member 28 rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 29 fixedly mounted in the side members 15 of the frame 14. The lower surface of the blade 26 is slightly inclined upwardly toward the holder, whereby a sharp cutting edge St is formed on the blade. Thus the parts 26, 27 and 23 constitute a swinging upper blade unit which normally depends from the shaft 2 with the side surfaces of the holder 27 in substantially vertical planes except when the swinging shear frame 14 is in the extreme left or rest position shown in FIG. 1 where the stop plate 24 engages the blade holder and tilts it slightly as shown.

The lower blade and holder unit indicated as a whole at 31 comprises a blade 32 mounted in a block 33 which fits in a block 34 provided with side plates 35 (FIG. 6), pivotally mounted on shaft 36 in the swinging shear frame 14. The pivotal connection between the lower blade unit 31 and shear frame members 15 is located near the left hand or rearward part of the unit, removed from the blade 32. The right hand or forward portion of the unit is loosely supported on a lower blade holder support which comprises a pair of supporting arms 37 located adjacent and between the swinging frame members 15, the arms 37 being connected by a plate 38 and screws 39. The lower ends of the supporting arms 37 are pivotally mounted on a shaft 40 mounted in and extending across between the fixed frame members 10, 11. The upper ends of the supporting arms 37 are curved as indicated at 41, the curved edge merging into a flattened portion 42 on the upper forward end of each arm 37. The upper curved edges 41 loosely engage a complementally curved lower surface 43 formed in each of the side members 35 of the lower blade unit by cutting away the forwardly projecting portion of said holder side members as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 8. A spring 44 fixed on the inner surfaces of each of the swing ing frame members bears on the upper edge of the blade holders unit 31 at each side to maintain the engagement between holder unit and supporting arms 37.

In FIGS. 1 and 4, the swinging shear frame 14- is shown in its extreme left hand or rearward at rest position. The continuously traveling strip or bar 45 is supported on rolls (not shown) and when the shearing mechanism is in this position, the strip or bar does not rest on the top of the lower blade holder but is spaced therefrom, the blade holder top surface being inclined downwardly from rear to front as shown. The blade holder unit 31, being pivotally mounted at 36, and loosely supported in its forward portion on the supporting arms 37, is in its lowermost position when both the swinging frame members 15 and the lower blade holder supporting arms 37 are in their extreme left or rearward positions. The bearing engagement between the blade holder side plates 35 and the upper ends of the arms 37 automatically causes the arms to move to the left when the swinging frame members 15 are moved in that direction. In this position of the swinging shear frame, the upper swinging blade unit is tilted slightly from the vertical due to its engagement with the stop plate 24, and the blade 26 is spaced from the upper surface of the traveling strip 4-5 as shown.

FIGS. 2 and 5 show the shearing mechanism at the completion of the cutting operation. The movement of the parts from the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to those of FIGS. 2 and 5 are produced by actuating a single element, namely, the swinging shear frame 14 about the shaft 16. This produces a combined pivotal and arcuate movement of the blade units and 31. The upper blade unit 25 by gravity seeks its vertical position and moves pivotally about the shaft 29 while said shaft 29 is carried in an arcuate path concentric with the shaft 16 by the pivotal movement of the frame arms 15 about said shaft 16. At the same time, the lower blade unit 31 also moves pivotally about its shaft 3t) which is carried in an arcuate path concentric with the shaft 16 by the pivotal movement of the frame members 15. However, the pivotal movement of the unit 31 about its shaft 36 is controlled by the supporting arms 37 in engage ment with the side plates as said arms 37 assume the more vertical positions of FIGS. 2 and 5, by moving pivotally about the shaft 49, the forward portion of the blade holder is raised and the blade 32 moves in an arcuate path toward the blade 26. The swinging frame arms 15 are cut away at 46 to accommodate the shaft 40 when the parts are in cutting position.

As shown in FIG. 2, Where the cutting of the work is taking place, the center of the upper cutter unit pivot 29 is located A inch to the right of a vertical plane through the center of the swinging frame pivot 16 and therefore slightly below the highest portion of its arcuate path. In a full size machine, which is at least five times the size shown in the application drawings, a vertical plane through the pivotal center 29 is located approximately one and one-quarter inches to the right of the vertical plane through the center of pivot 16 when shearing of work 45 takes place. In that position, in a full size machine, the center of pivot 29 is about inch closer to the work than when the pivots 29 and 16 are in the same vertical plane. Further, added to this movement of center 29 toward the work as the frame 14 swings to the right, the change in position of the holder 27 and blade 26 from the inclined position of FIG. 1 to the vertical position of FIG 2 aids in bringing the blade 26 closer to the Work. The forward movement, that is the swinging movement of the frame 14 in the direction of travel of the work, at the same time causes the lower cutter unit 31 to tilt about its pivot 36 (due to the arms 37 loosely engaging the side members 35 of lower cutter unit 31 and pivoting about pivot 46), thereby raising the lower blade 32 from the position of FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2, and moving the blades 26 and 32 into shearing relationship. The thickness of the strip 45 is exaggerated in the drawing for sake of clarity. For example, the work 45 may be a strip only one-quarter inch in thickness and thus would appear in the application drawings as less than one-sixteenth inch in thickness if it had not been exaggerated.

Thus the axes of the shafts 29 and 36 which constitute the pivotal connections of the upper and lower blade units to the swinging frame 14 move in concentric paths about the axis of the shaft 16 when the frame 14 is reciprocated about said shaft 16, but the blades 26 and 32 carried by the blade units move in arcuate but non-concentric paths toward opposite surfaces of the traveling strip 4-5. in the cutting position the upper surface of the lower blade holder lies in a horizontal plane, the parallel sides of the upper blade holder are in vertical planes, and the cutting edge 39 of the blade 2t; severs the metal strip or bar 45 and meets the cutting edge of the lower blade 32 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The arcuate non-concentric paths in which the blades travel from rest to cutting positions about the pivots 16 and 49, respectively, is indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 8. The combined pivotal and arcuate movements cause the blades to approach each other while traveling in the direction of the moving strip and to produce a clean cut through the moving strip as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The shearing of the strip takes place as indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 8 when the blades 26 and 32 meet. The strip 45 is constantly moving, both before and after shearing takes place. Therefore the advancing edge of the cut strip 45 contacts the upper blade 26 when shearing has taken place and pushes the blade and its holder 27 to the right as shown in FIG. 9, thereby swinging the upper cutter unit about its pivot 29, and at the same time the swinging frame 14 returns to initial position.

In describing the invention, reference has been made to a particular example embodying the same, but I wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawing and that various changes may be made in the construction and general arrangement of parts without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. Metal bar shears for shearing constantly traveling work comprising a stationary upright support, a reciprocated swinging frame pivotally connected at its lower end to the support, an upper cutter unit, means pivotally connecting the upper cutter unit to the swinging frame between its ends, said upper cutter unit depending from said connecting means and having swinging movement relatively to the frame, a stop member connected to the frame limiting the rearward swinging movement of the upper cutter unit, a lower cutter unit, means pivotally connecting the lower cutter unit rearwardly of its center to the swinging frame, a supporting arm having a free upper end, and means pivotally connecting the lower end of the supporting arm to the upright support forwardly and upwardly of the lower pivoted end of the swinging frame, the free upper end of said arm slidably engaging and loosely supporting the lower cutter unit forwardly of its pivotal connection to the swinging frame, actuation of the swinging frame in the direction of travel of the work automatically imparting pivotal movement to the upper cutter unit, supporting arm and lower cutter unit and thereby swinging the upper cutter unit to vertical position, lifting the lower cutter unit forwardly of its pivotal connection to the swinging frame, and moving said cutter units forwardly in arcuate non-concentric paths toward each other into shearing relationship, said means pivotally connecting the upper cutter unit to the swinging frame being located forwardly of the swinging frame pivot and slightly below the highest portion of its arcuate path during the cutting operation.

2. The bar shears defined by claim 1, in which the upper cutter unit comprises a blade holder, a blade mounted in the lower rearward portion of the holder, and a tubular member on the upper end of the holder parallel to and rotatably surrounding the means connecting the upper cutter unit to the swinging frame.

3. The bar shears defined by claim 1, in which the supporting arm has a curved peripheral surface on its upper free end, and the lower cutter unit has a curved surface slidably and loosely engaged by said free end of the arm.

4. Metal bar shears for shearing constantly traveling work comprising stationary spaced apart upright supports, a reciprocated swinging frame including parallel spaced frame members each pivotally connected at its lower end to one of the upright supports, a cross piece connecting the frame members, an upper cutter unit extending horizontally between the frame members, means pivotally connecting the upper cutter unit to the swinging frame between its ends, said upper cutter unit depending from said connecting means and having swinging movement relatively to the frame, a stop member connected to the frame limiting the rearward swinging movement of the upper cutter unit, a lower cutter unit, means pivotally connecting the lower cutter unit rearwardly of its center to the swinging frame, a pair of supporting arms each having a free upper end, and means pivotally connecting the lower ends of the supporting arms to the upright support forwardly and upwardly of the lower pivoted end of the swinging frame, the free upper ends of said arms slidably engaging and loosely supporting the lower cutter unit at each of its sides forwardly of its pivotal connection to the swinging frame, actuation of the swinging frame in the direction of travel of the work automatically imparting pivotal movements to the upper cutter unit, supporting arm and lower cutter unit, thereby swinging the upper cutter unit to vertical position, lifting the lower cutter unit forwardly of its pivotal connection to the swinging frame, and moving said cutter units forwardly in arcuate non-concentric paths toward each other into shearing relationship, said means pivotally connecting the upper cutter unit to the swinging frame being located forwardly of the swinging frame pivot and slightly below the highest portion of its arcuate path during the cutting operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 897,344 Bray et a1. Sept. 1, 1908 1,507,703 Kennedy Sept. 9, 1924 2,123,570 Lehmann July 12, 1938 2,415,325 Wood Feb. 4, 1947 2,436,572 Henschker Feb. 24, 1948 2,588,663 Sc-hane Mar. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 575,812 Germany May 2, 1933 711,757 Germany Oct. 6, 1941 889,549 France Jan. 12, 1944 

